Electric automobile-clock.



W. H. THOMPSON.

ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILE CLOCK.

AePLlcATlon man ocLzs, 19M.

1,241,055. Patentedsept. 25, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W'. H. THOMPSON.

ELECTRIC 'UTOMOBILE CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.28, 1914.

1,241,055. Patented sept. 25,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

62 f .Y 1 mwm l n 7* wwwvoo 55 V6/ W Q7. m4 wir lttomm W'. H. vTHOMPSON. ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILE CLOCK.

APPLlcAmoN FILED ocT. 28, 1914.

1,241,055. Patented sept. 25, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEieE.

WILLIAM I-I. THOMPSON, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO THOMPSON ELECTRIC CLOCK COMPANY, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILE-CLOCK.

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it. known that I, VVTLLIAM H. THOMP- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, county of Shelby, and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Automobile-Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toelectric automobile clocks.

The present invention embodies improvements on the electric automobile clock set forth in my Patent No. 1024709, dated April 30, 1912, but it has the same general object in the provision of a clock intended for use on automobiles, locomotives, vessels, and other vehicles where more or less constant vibration exists and Where winding ofa spring clock would be neglected except at irregular intervals, with resulting deterioration and inaccuracy in keeping time. Automobile clocks are peculiarly subject to neglect and this, with the excessive vibration, soon impairs their reliability as time keepers.

The clock set forth in my Patent No. 1024709 is well adapted Ito meet the requirements of automobile, railroad and marine service, but the object of the present iinprovements is to minimize any irregularity of time keeping of a clock of that character; directly drive the center wheel of the r'novement by power applied to the periphery thereof and tof deliver the power from the periphery of the center wheel to the train at the same gear pitch; provide a bodily movable armature which may be made as a stamping and which is mounted so that the maximum magnetic attraction will be obtained and correspondingly improved winding effect had; provide novel means and combinations whereby substantially the same winding effect is obtained, whether the battery current be weak or strong; combine the winding or actuating wheel and the power maintaining' means in an improved relationship; and, furtheryto generally improve the construction to the end that a more efficient and durable clock be provided.

ln the clock set forth in my Patent No. 1024709, l em loyed a coil-spring disposed around the sleeve of the actuating or winding wheel and an armature which was pivoted intermediate its ends. lilith such a spring, an increasingly greater pressure is required as the spring is wound tighter;

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application led October 28, 1914. Serial No. 869,014.

consequently, the tension of the spring, which is controlled by the'armature, is dependent on the strength `of the battery current, and this is particularly so because the armature lever is pivoted intermediate its ends, and the winding action, being dependent on the leverage, is in turn, quite dependent on the current used to energize the electro-magnet. lt will be seen, therefore, that with the construction of my Patent, No. 1024709, when the battery current becomes weak or drops below normal, the power spring is not tensioncdl as strongly as when the current is normal and, accordingly, with the old form of spring, when the battery is fresh and the current maximum, the greater tension imparted to the power spring causes the clock to run faster than when the battery, from continued use, delivers a weaker current and does not tensionv the spring so much.

In the present invention I provide an extensible coil spring, one end of which is anchored, as to the watch or clock frame, and the other 'end connected to an arni or lever attached to or forming part of the driving or actuating wheel, preferably to the sleeve thereof. This arrangement affords an automatic compensation whereby as the tension of the spring is heightened, the leverage exerted on the spring by the driving wheel is correspondingly or compensatingly decreased and the torque exerted on the driving wheel, and consequently the center wheel of the clock or watch train, is maintained substantially the same, within the limits of play of the parts. whether the armature be attracted to the electro-magnet with a maximum, a minimum, or an interniediate eil'ect. Consequently, whether the battery be weak or strong, the operation of the clock or watch train is substantially constant..

ln my Patent, No. 1024709, the armature lever is pivoted intermediate its ends. ln the present invention, the armature lever is pivoted at one end and is consequently arranged so that it is practically bodily movable. lts relationship to: the poles of the electro-magnet is such that a portion of thc armature is always within the magnetic field of one ot' said poles, and consequently, on the slightest magnetization ofthe electro-imlgnet. the armature is attracted and thereupon comes within the magnetic .field of the other pole of the magnet, whereupon a bodily movement and a maximum magnetic attraction of the armature results and it acts in a hammer-like manner to kick or snap the driving or winding wheel the desired distance. With this arrangement, a minimum battery current will cause adequate tensioning ofthe power spring and, due to the compensating construction hereinbefore referred to, the leverage exerted by the spring will cause the driving torque on the center wheel to be substantially the saine as what it would be if thebattery current were greater and the action of the armature stronger, because with a stronger armature action. as when the battery is fresh, the correspondingly greater extent of movement of the driving wheel and greater tension of the driving spring, is compensated for by the decreased leverage exerted by the driving spring when the arm has passed a certain point. I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the use of an arm, in Connection with the spring, as I may use a cam. fusee or other part performing the saine function.

The invention is carried out further, by the provision of an improved spring backstop for the armature; and details of arrangement aiid combination of the driving and power maintaining means, as also other details of construction, set forth more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the case and bezel, the operative parts being in full lines and the supporting bracket broken away;

Fig. 2, a view looking toward the electromagnet. the parts being removed from the case. dotted lines representing the power wheel; 4

Fig. 3, -a detail section showing one set of ,fastening screws, one cushioning spring, and

the end of the armature;

Fig. 4, a detail perspective of the armature and its spring;

Fig. 5. a similar view of the back-stop for the armature;

Fig. G, a horizontal section through the armature and also showing one of the frame plates and the armature spring;

Fig. 7. a detail looking toward the inner face of the armature and showing the contact;

Fig. S, a detail perspective of the front frame plate, the watch or clock movement, and the winding means, separated, and in relative position;

Fig. 9. a view looking toward the inner i' rame plate, dotted lines. representing the position of certain parts of'the winding means;

Fig. 10. a vertical sectionl through the winding or actuating wheel, the power maintaining means and the compensating arm,

the power spring and power shaft being in full lines;

Fig. 11, a detail view of the parts of the power maintaining device;

Fig. 12, a detail of a shock absorbing spring; and

Fig. 13, a section showing the parts for holding the clock or watch movement in position.

The operative parts are carried by a front plate 1 and back plate 2 which are spaced apart and connected together by pillars' 3. Secured to the face of the front plate 1 is a dial 4. The back of the front plate 1 is concaved or recessed at 5, Fig. 13, and against the rear of the front plate 1 is secured, by the shoulders (5 on the spacingr screws 3, a ring 7. The screw-threaded ends 8 of the spacing members 3 pass through the ring 7 (Fig. 3) and engage threads in the plate 1. The ring 7 is thus held firmly against the plate 1 without requiring other fastening means. The inner edge 9 of the ring overhangs the concavity Instead of building in a watch or clock movement between and connected to the plates 1 and 2 as is proposed in my Patent, No. 1024709, I take any suitable self-contained and standard watch or clock movement 10, Fig. S, and, after removing the main spring and winding barrel therefrom, apply this movement and secure it in the manner shown in Fig. 13, the ,rabbeted edge 11 of the front or dial plateoi` the movement 10 being overlapped by the overhanging inner edge 9 of the ring 7, whereby the movement is firmly positioned in coneavity 5 and clamped against the inner face of plate 1. This subject-matter is set forth and claimed in a divisional application, SerialNo. 14,488, filed March 15, 1915.

By the utilization of a standard watch or clock movement, I ani enabled to obtain all. of the advantages inliering in any selected standard movement and to utilize my improved electrically operated winding means for imparting the requisite driving power to the movement. Thus, in Fig. 8, I have shown at 12 the power or driving means of the present invention in position to be applied to the n'iovement 10 prior to the application of the back-plate 2. IThe driving pinion 13 is adapt-ed to be received in the concavity 14 of the watch or cloeli movement 10 and to directly mesh with the periphery of the center wheel 15 of that movement., whereby the driving power is applied to the center wheel and the power imparted to the train from the same periphery of said wheel. Furthermore, the provision of a self-contained watch or clock movement permits quick and easy detachment of the movement, as an entirety whenever it requires inspection, cleaning, or repairs.

Passing through the back-plate 2 are the screw-threaded ends 16 of= the retaining guides 17. The said supports 17 clamp the back-plate 2 to the pillars or spacing members 3 and thel plates 1 and 2 are thus held in proper relation to each other.

The shock absorbing coil springs 18 (Figs. 1, 3 and 12) loosely surround the retaining guides 17, but at their inner ends they are constrictedas at 19 and enter a reduced .annular portion 2O of the spring support,

:whereby the spring is held against detachment, but the remaining coils are loose and free from the retaining guides and adapted to permit the latter to move longitudinally in relation to them to absorb vibrations. At the same time, the inner ends 19 of the spring bear against the back-plate 2 and form an end-lock, as it were, tovprevent unscrevving of the parts 16.

Referring to Fig. 1, the outer ends 21 of the springs bear against the back of the shell or case 22 which houses the clock, and the proportions of the parts a/nd length of the springs is such that the springs are under constant tension and hold the dial 4 against the spacer shell 23 and through said shell, press upon the bezel 24 and lock it against rattling or looseness where it is connected by screw-threads 25 to the shell 22. No fastenings of any kind are employed to secure the entire apparatus, including the movement 10e1ectro-magnet, armature, and

' power means in position. vThetension of the springs 1S is such that the pressure they exert on the shell. and on the back-plate 2 is suiicient to hold the dial 4 firmly against the ring 23 at all times without requiring separate fastenings and to prevent twisting or chattering due' to the vibration to which the clock may be subjected, as for instance, when in use on an automobile. At the same time, the retaining guides 17 being shorter than the springs 18, permit a cushioning and shock absorbing relative movement of the parts without separation. Preferably, there will be but three pillars 3 placed at equal distances apart as such arrangement provides for all possible movements. I do not limit myself, however, to the use of but three springs and supports. The shock absorbing devices are set forth and claimed in a divisional application, filed March 15, 1915, Serial No. 14,489.

The hands which travel in front of the dial 4 are shown at 26 and the glass face of the clock at 27. The shell or case is preferably provided with a bracket 28 which is partly broken away in Fig. 1, by which the clock may be secured to the dash lof the automobile in suitably inclined position for easy observation.

The power shaft 29 carries the pinion 13 at one end and has its tip 30 journaled in a bearing in the front plate of the movement 10, the pinion 13 being received in the conlwithin certain limits.

cavity 14 and meshing with the periphery of center Wheel 15, as previously explained. The other reduced end 31 of the powe` shaft is journaled in the back-plate 2.. The driving or power wheel 32 is provided with a sleeve 33 loosely surrounding and having a bearing on the power shaft 29. Secured to the sleeve 33 in any preferred manner is a compensating arm 34 (Figs. 9 and 10). An actuating or power coil spring 35 which is connected to the arm at one end, is, at its other end, engaged with a stud or pin 36 (Figs. 1 and 8) on the front plate 1 or the ring 7. The spring 35 and arm 34, through theI power wheel and maintaining device hereinafter set forth, drive the power shaft 29 and pinion 13 and thus drive the train.

In my Patent No. 1024709, the driving spring is coiled around the sleeve of the power wheel. I have previously pointed out the operation of a spring of that character. By using the spring 35 and arm 34 or any equivalent of the latter such as a cam or fusce, I obviate the possibility of a slower movement of the train at one time than another.

Reference being had to Fig. 9, when'the power wheel 32 is kicked back by the action of the electro-magnet and armature, the spring 35 is placed under tension. Obviously, the farther the power wheel is moved by the electro-magnetic action, the greater will be the tension on the spring 35, Were it not for the employment of the arm 34, disadvantages of diHerence of operation of the clock or watch train would result, as with the power spring of my Patent, No. 1024709, but the employment of the arm 34, or its equivalent, affords an automa-tic compensating means. Then the arm passes beyond the point where the leverage exerted by the spring through said arm is greatest, while the tension of the spring is increased on such further movement, the travel of the arm corre` spondingly decreases the leverage and compensates for the increasing tension of the spring. Consequently, the torque exerted on the power shaft '29,is substantially constant.

Preferably, the travel of the arm is through lessthan 900. I provide a stop 37 on the plate 2 which is adapted to engage a stop 3S carried by the power wheel 32. rlhe inner end of the stop 38 extends into a concavity 39 which is provided in the face of the power wheel for the accommodation of the power' maintaining device shown in Figs. 8, 10 and 11 and in dotted lines ,in Fig. 9.

The power maintainer has a` driving disk 40 which is pinned or screwed onto the end 31 of the power shaft 29 and interposed between this disk and the shoulder of the shaft 29 is a washer 41. Ijoosely mounted on the hub of the disk 40 is a ratchet wheel 42 which rests upon the washer 41. Contained within the ratchet wheel 42 is a circular power maintaining spring 43, one of whose ends is engaged with a pin 44 on the driving disk 40, and the other end is engaged with a pin 45 on the ratchet wheel 42. .Pivoted to the power wheel 32 is a power transmitting pawl 46 which is held in engagement with the ratchet wheel 42 by a spring 47 carried by the wheel 32 and located in the concavity thereof. The inner end of the pin 38 overlies this spring and prevents it from becoming displaced. To prevent back movement of the ratchet wheel 42, provide on the plate 2, a retaining pawl 48 pressed by a spring 49.

The tension of spring 35 is transmitted through arm 34 to sleeve 33 and power wheel 32, thence through pawl 46 to ratchet wheel 42 and through maintaining spring 43 to driving disk 40 which turns the power shaft 30, the pinion 13 transmitting the power to the center wheel 15.

As with the power maintainer of my Pat i ent No. 1024709, the spring 43 compensates for the momentary loss of driving power when the electro-magnet and armature are kicking back the wheel 32 to tension the spring 35.

The power wheel 32 is provided with a contact pin 50 which is adapted, when the wheel 32 unwinds to a certain point, to engage a contact block 51 (Figs. 4 and 7) on the armature 52.

The armature 52 is made in one piece, which permits it to be manufactured as a single stamping at greatly less expense than the armature, and armature lever of my Patent No. 1024708 and it has pivots or trunnions 53 at one end thereof, these being journaled in suitable bearings in the plates 1 and 2 as at 54 (Fig. To the face of the armature is secured a leaf spring 55, one of whose ends-that nearest the pivots 53-bears against a pole of the electro-magnet 56 (Fig. 2) when the armature is in normal position. The leafvspring serves the double purpose of preventing the armature from sticking to the poles of the electromagnet by the residual magnetism thereof and it also assists slightly in holding the armature away from said poles.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 6, it will be seen that the armature lies in substantially a single plane and that in consequence of its being pivoted at one end only, instead of being carried by a lever which is piioted intermediate its ends, as is proposed in my Patent No. 1024709, the present armature 52 is adapted to move bodily or as an entirety. Consequently, as previously explained. the relationship of the armature to the poles of the electro-magnet is such that the part of the armature nearest its pivots 53 is always within the magnetic field of the left-hand pole (Fig. 2) and consequently, on the slightest magnetization of the electro-magnet by even a very weak current, the armature is actuated and thereupon, by a bodily movement, comes within the magnetic field o f the other pole of the magnet and an instantaneous or hammer-like kick or snap occurs and a corresponding hammer-like aetion is exerted on ihe contact' pin 50 of the power wheel 32. As a result of this construction and arrangement, the power wheel is turned back to re-wind the spring to an adequate degree even though the battery current be very weak. As previously explained,whether the battery current be weak or strong, substantially the saine driving torque is exerted on the power wheel A spring 57 which is loosely coiled around one of the pivots 53 and is engaged at (Fig. 6) with the armature and at 59 with one of the pillars 3, affords the necessary tension to retract the armature, but without offering much resistance to its attraction by the electro-magnet. A back stop 60 (Figs. 2, 5 and 0) is secured to plate 2 and has a spring finger 61 which yieldingly engages the armature. This stop and finger, by their relationship to the armature (Fig. 2) cause an edge of the stop to engage with most of the effective length of the armature and afford an effective cushioned arrester for the armature on denergization of the electromagnet, but as the spring finger has only a limited travel before it strikes the stop body, there is substantially no rebound of the armature when it is retracted. The contact block 51 is suitably insulated from the armature to which it is fastened by screws 62 which also are insulated from the armature and serve to secure the metallic conductor end 63 of the conductor 64 which passes through an opening 65, preferably in liuc with the pivots 63 and thence to the .insulated binding post 66 Fig. 2) whence the conductor 67 extends to the electro-magnet. The other terminal 68 of the electro-magnet (Fig. 9) is connected to an insulated binding post 69 from which leads a battery wire 70 (Fig. 2). The other battery wire may be connected to any part of the shell or case, as for instance, to one of the screws 71 (Fig. 1) which secures the bracket 28. The current has access through the shell or case to the different metallic parts to the power wheel 32 and thence to the contact pin 50 so that when the latter touches the contact block 51, the circuit is completed and the electro-magnet energized. thereupon attracting the armature and, through the contact pin 50, kicking the power wheel 32 haekward to wind up the spring. The direction in which the power wheel 32 is kicked to wind the spring is indicated by the arrow on said power wheel, 'as shown in Fig. 8. The direction of movement of the ratchet wheel 42 is shown by the other arrow in Fig. 8.

By running the conductor 64 through the hole 65, no resistance is offered by the tension of the conductor to the free movement of the armature.

If it be assumed that the power spring 35 has been wound, the Contact in 50 will then be out of engagement with t e contact block 51. When the spring 35 contracts, dueto ,imparting its power to the train, sulicient to bring said pin 50 into engagement with the contact block 51, the circuit is immediately completed and the electro-magnet 56 energized, whereupon it attracts the arma ture as before explained and in doing so, kicks the power wheel 32 backward in opposition to the position of the spring 35, thus re-tensioning said spring. During this re-tensioning of the spring there would be a tendency toward cessation of the turning of the train of wheels. To compensate for this l and to enable thetrain to continuously op- 2 crate, even during the almost instantaneous kicking back of the power wheel 32; the \spring 43 having been placed under tension, tends to uncoil and therefore, continues the application of the spring power to the shaft 29, resulting in continuity of driving of the clock train and the keeping of the correct time.

The engagement ofthe pin 50 and the block 5l is a rolling one which insures a good electrical contact at all times and the keeping of the contacting surfaces bright.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters "Patent, is:

ln a clock, the combination with a frame, of a power shaft journaled therein and in metallic contact therewith adapted for driving the train, a power wheel loosely mounted on, and in metallic contact with, they said shaft and adapted for driving it, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on said power shaft, a driving disk loosely related to the ratchet wheel and secured on the power shaft, a compensating spring connecting the driving disk and the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the power wheel and engaging the ratchet wheel, an electric contact on the 'power wheel, an armature having a contact adapted to be engaged by the contact aforesaid, an electro-magnet in circuit with said contact and said frame, an arm connected to the power wheel, and a contractile coil spring having one end anchored and its other end connected to said arm, said armature being adapted to kick the power wheel to tension said contractile coil spring when the contacts engage.

ln testimony whereof, li hereunto a'liix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

"WILLIAM H. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

JULIUs GOODMAN, J. E. Guns. 

